Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-30
Ella WHEELER WILCOX.

Ne more unique, distinctive, and at the
same time popular character stands before
the people to-day than Ella Wheeler
Wilcox.
Born in Wisconsin village some thirty
odd years ago, when Wisconsin wss not
much more than frontier state, without
Influential friends or family, and without
money, she made for herself name in
literature which commanded attention
before she was eighteen years old. To
one who knows it in detail her history
reads ike fairy story. Reared on e
Hestern prairie, she is an ornament to
the most brilliant circles OF the metrop-
oils.
she had never seen gu editor or literary
person and knew nothing Of the methods
Of getting into print when, at fourteen,
she read her first production to the press.
s.phe New York Mercury published these
fSildish efforts which were written in
prose and under om-de-plumes.
II declined the first poem she ever sent
fer publication, and the editor sarcastic
silly advised her to "crush her ambitions
TO be poet"
The WEverly Magazine has the honor
o be the fist TO present the name Of Ella
Wheeler to the public.
Frank Leslie seut her the first check
she ever received at seventeen years OF
sge.
From that time to the present day she
has never swerved nor faltered IN the
steady, hard climb toward success.
She never sent manuscript IN her life
for criticism and never asked for aid or
influence in her literary ventures.
During the last fifteen years Ella
Wheeler has probably been the most crit
icised, abused, praised, misconstrued and
admired woman in the literary world.
Without particle of effort to create q
sensation, everything sbe has in that
time written has had the effect of stirring
up criticism.
Her writings seem to be possessed OF q
certain something combustiole in their
that on striking outer air
Invariably rends it with more or less of
n explosion.
Her first published book was "Drops Of |
Water" a collection of juvenile temper
lnce verses. These we're crude but filed |
With the dramatic enthusiasm which has 81 |
her later work, and provoked |
praise and censure in prOportionate guam
tiles from the contendipg forces On the
liquor question.
"Shells," little volume now out of
'rint, comes next.
"Msurinne," by many considered her
nest work, and the famous Poems OF
'assion which set the literary world on
re, followed within three years Of each
ther.
Columns of abuse and praise Items rid
;uliDg and eulogizlng the latter volume
He'd all the papers in the country.
Some of her friends urged her to sup
ress the book after its first appearance,
ut strong in the courage of her conVic-
ions, she read the severe and unjust re-
Jews through tears, not unmixed with
miles st sight of the golden coins which
unctuated the comments of the critics.
Many of these dollars were spent In
uildirg home for aging parents, and
luch of the halo now surrounding this
charitable Woman's life is the reflection
+ the generous deeds Of her early monied
fe. !
Milwaukee people gave her "beneft" I
/ Mey, 1888, when she WAC made the sub
ct Of 8 speech by United States Sens ;
II aod was presented with a china basket :
$500 in gold.
Long before her happy marriage in May,
'84, with the elegant and cultivated gen
eman who brought her to the east, her {
sme was household word snd she was
welcome guest in the best circles of The
'eat northeast.
To her rare genius were added unusual c
races of person. She was brilliant I
I'd tactful talker, good dancer, and 8